Suspenders



Sept. 15, 1931. N. McCULLQCH SUSPENDERS Filed April a INVENTOR. #0515 211009. BY 02W W $5 at ATTORNE Ee Patented Sept. 15, 1931' NOBLE maximum, or oaxmzm, canmoama susrmrnms Application filed April 3, 1828. Serial No. 268,930.

The invention forming the subject matter of this application relates to suspenders.

The majority of suspenders in use at present are made of elastic material and are provided with fastenin members having button holes therein for astening the suspenders to the buttons of the trousers. The fastening members are not resilient and extensible, but

the shoulder straps themselves are usually made of elastic material so that when a person wearing such a suspender is employed at a work requiring considerable movement of the shoulders and the le s, the repeated extension and contraction o the elastic shoulder straps wear out the strap in a comparatively short period. The expansion of the elastic shoulder stra s also has a tendency of rubbing the shoulders of the person wearing the same, thereby causing inconvenience and discomfort that is unavoidable in case of the aforesaid elastic shoulder straps.

The primary objectof the invention is the provision ofa suspender in which the shoulder straps are made of an inelastic material, 2 and the fastening members are elastic so as to take up the whole expansion required during the bending or moving of a person wearing the suspenders. Another object of the invention is the provision of a suspender in which shoulder straps of inelastic material are provided so as to remain in place and to obviate the movement of said shoulder straps relative to the shoulders upon which they rest, and to provide detachable fastening members which are sufliciently resilient to take up the expansion previously taken up by elastic shoulder straps; said fastening members to be constructed in such a manner as to operatively receive a helical spring, the extension of which provides the desired resiliency to the sus ender. nother object of this invention is the provision of a suspender which is superior in points ofsimpliclty, usefulness, durability,

inexpensiveness of construction, facility,-

and convenience in use. 7

In this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention is illustrated in the form consideredato'be the best, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such form because it may be embodied in other forms, and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description, it Is desired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of the suspender showing the same in the position it assumes when in place upon the shoulder of a person;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the suspender in the position shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a detailed view of the fastening member of the suspender, the tubular element thereof being shown in section.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts thruout, the various figures described above adequately illustrate my invention, and the following detailed description is commensurate with the above mentioned drawings in enabling an artisan to construct and assemble the constituent parts of the same.

The invention consists of a pair of shoulder straps 5, the rear portions 7 and 9 of which are in crossing relation and slidably engaged by means of superposed strips 6 and 11 which are riveted to the shoulder straps 5 by means of rivets 8, the lower end of the strips 6 and 11 being riveted to the portions 7 and 9 with the eye ofsprin 21 interposed. The rear portion 9 of shoulder strap 5 is interposed between the rear portion 7 and the superposed strip 6, while the strip 6 is interposed between the portion 9 and strip 11 previous to riveting the lower ends with the spring eyes in place. It will be noted that considerable movement of the portions 7 and 9 is possible relative to each other as also variation in angular relation, thus providing the greatest possible degree of comfort and convenience.

The front'portions of shoulder straps 5 are made adjustable by means of a loop 13 and clasp 14 in conjunction with the loop 15. The ends of the shoulder straps are threaded through loops 15 and 13 by passing downwardly through loop 15 thence through loop 13, passing back and up over and again through loop 15, thence downward and about the loop 13, and riveted as at 12 to securely retain loop 13 in the eye thus formed. The clasp 14 may be of any conventional or well known type.

Removably secured upon each hook 13 is a fastening member, denoted in its entirety by the numeral 16, and com rising a connecting member 17, formed 0 inelastic material, one end of which is folded and riveted so as to receive a loop 18 in the upper fold thereof and a loop 19 in the lower fold there- 'of the other end forming a depending apron of the tubular member 25 is cut to such length as to leave uncovered a portion of the helical spring 21. The end 26 of the helical spring extends thru the tubular portion 25 over the tab 22 and is secured thereto by means of a rivet 27. It is apparent that any tension exertedupon the button holes 23 and tabs 22 will expand the springs 21 by exerting a pull on the rivet 27 and the end 26 of the helical spring attached thereto.' The other end of the helical spring 21 being secured to the loop 19- is not movable relative to the shoulder strap 5; therefore, the helical spring 21 will expand, which expansion is guided by the tubular member 25 in which said helical spring 21 is slidable. The fastening members 16' secured to the rear ends of the shoulder straps 5 are identical with the fastening members supported on the connecting members 17 Two fastening elements 16 are secured to the rear end of the shoulder straps 5 by means of the rivets 8 which also 13 serve for securing the rear plies 6 and 11 respectively to the ends 7 and 9 of the shoulder straps 5. The function of all these fastening members 16 and 16 is similar. The shoulder straps 5 never have to move on the shoulders when a person is bending because the elasticity of the suspender is achieved by said fastening members 16 and 16.

The adjustment of the length of the suspender is accomplished in the usual manner by disengaging the clasp 14 and sliding the same upon the shoulder strap .so as to change the relative position of the fold at the front end of the strap. f

It is also to be noted that in order to remove the suspender, it is not necessary to unbutton the tabs 22, because this may readily be effected by raising the connecting memher-17 and extending the helical spring 21 until the loop 18 is wlthdrawn from the hook 13, whereupon the shoulder straps 5 may be readily removed from the shoulder without necessitating the disengagement of the buttonholes 23 from the buttons on the trousers. I

It will be recognized thatthe suspender heretofore described provides suflicient resiliency to render comfortable the shoulder movements and the bending of the person wearing the same by obviating the movement ofthe shoulder straps relatively to the body or the shoulders of theperson. The shoulder stra s may be readily freed from the trousers y simply detaching the front fastening member 16 from the straps, in'which case it is not necessary to remove the fastening member 16 from the buttons of the trousers. The suspender combines simplicity, comfort, convenience, with positiveness' of attachment and adjustment, and durability, especially adapting it for its use. p

I claim:

1. In a suspender, shoulder straps slidably connected together at their rear ends and individually movable relative to each other and formed of inelastic material, elastic fastening elements secured to the rear ends of saidstraps, elastic fastening elements secured to connectingmembers, at the front ends of said straps, said connecting members each comprising a link member ed in one end thereof for turnably support ing one end of one elastic fastening element,

a second loop disposed in the other end of said link member for detachably engaging with the front end of one of said straps.

2. A suspender, in combination, inelastic shoulder straps slidably secured together and freelymovable relative to each other adacent the rear ends thereof, and sheathed spring fastening elements affixed tothe rear ends, the front ends of said straps being adustable as to length, and having a hook memer secured in loops formed therein, and sheathed spring fastening elements for the front ofsaid suspender, coupling means cooperat ng with the front fastening elements and sa1d hooks, comprising an inelastic sectron of material having one end folded and riveted to receive a loop in each fold thereof, the other end depending to form an apron, and a intermediately extending from each of sa1d folds. 7

3. A suspender comprising two inelastic shoulder straps, each having a slot formed ad acent the rear ends, said straps being freely connected together by means of said slots,

- each of said shoulder straps being independsheath for said spring terminating in a u-t- "ton tab said spring having its bpposite end secured to said tab ad'acent the lower end of said sheath, and a. pair of elements removably secured to the frontend pf each I 6 shoulder strap.

In testimony whereof I gfiix m signaiiure.

NOBLE M CH. 

